NA Tune: ESS or wait for Evolve?

[zubydafa]

Originally Posted by beta

+1 keep us posted on your install. That is one mod I might do in the future if I decide to keep the car NA. There's nothing like the CSL airbox sound.

Based on all the feedback I got I decided to wait for evolve Euro headers and cats are going in this saturday.

where did you get the euro cat?

OP thanks very much for that suggestion.

[zubydafa]

and now i have to rethink things.

my plan was to get fabspeed headers from the m3f group buy and a custom tune from this reputed tuner out in maryland.

maybe i'll be much better off going the safe route with ssv2 step and evolve? probably a lot pricer too :/

[flipm3]

Originally Posted by zubydafa

and now i have to rethink things.

my plan was to get fabspeed headers from the m3f group buy and a custom tune from this reputed tuner out in maryland.

maybe i'll be much better off going the safe route with ssv2 step and evolve? probably a lot pricer too :/

I would definitely recommend the latter. If not that, I'd get the SS V1 Stepped or wait and see if the upcoming Evolve Headers will fit the Z4M.

Either way, I'd only trust my car with a tuner who specializes in BMW solely because of how intricate these DMEs are.

[zubydafa]

Originally Posted by flipm3

I would definitely recommend the latter. If not that, I'd get the SS V1 Stepped or wait and see if the upcoming Evolve Headers will fit the Z4M.

Either way, I'd only trust my car with a tuner who specializes in BMW solely because of how intricate these DMEs are.

i guess my hold up is that i think a custom tune catered to my specific mods is better than one generated for all ZM's. currently i have afe intake, arqray exhaust, RE x-pipe and will have fabspeed headers soon.

flawed reasoning? i'll be getting dyno'd pre and post so i'll know what kind of gains were achieved. also the tuner has an e46M and is very experienced with the s54 from what i've been told.

or does evolve adapt to mods?

[RobMCoupe]

Originally Posted by zubydafa

i guess my hold up is that i think a custom tune catered to my specific mods is better than one generated for all ZM's. currently i have afe intake, arqray exhaust, RE x-pipe and will have fabspeed headers soon.

flawed reasoning? i'll be getting dyno'd pre and post so i'll know what kind of gains were achieved. also the tuner has an e46M and is very experienced with the s54 from what i've been told.

or does evolve adapt to mods?

I am waiting for Evolve tune. They customize the tune with mods on your car.

[beta]

Originally Posted by zubydafa

where did you get the euro cat?

Got them new from the uk from bmminiparts. Pics here.

[RobMCoupe]

Originally Posted by beta

Got them new from the uk from bmminiparts. Pics here.

Is that your set at P-Tech?

[beta]

Yep

[RobMCoupe]

Originally Posted by beta

Yep

It's a beauty. My Euro header and cat didn't get any coating. I was in a hurry to install :-)

[beta]

Originally Posted by RobMCoupe

It's a beauty. My Euro header and cat didn't get any coating. I was in a hurry to install :-)

Grats! how does the power feel without the tune, was the ecu able to adapt somewhat?

[beta]

Installed euro headers and cats today, no cell no problems and the sound is great. I'll write it up proper with pictures for the mod journal later

[RobMCoupe]

Originally Posted by beta

Grats! how does the power feel without the tune, was the ecu able to adapt somewhat?

You definitely feel power gain with headers. I am use to it now but feel more responsive above 3k RPM.

[RobMCoupe]

Originally Posted by beta

Installed euro headers and cats today, no cell no problems and the sound is great. I'll write it up proper with pictures for the mod journal later

Ha..probably working on your car today becasue they didn't have time to swap my front strut today.

[Panchio]

Originally Posted by RobMCoupe

Is that your set at P-Tech?

Thanks to You buddy!! Now I'm getting my euro part from this guys.

www.bmminiparts.com

[beta]

I searched around all the online stores in Austria, Germany and the UK. That store had the best prices and were really easy to deal with. Enjoy the euro parts

[flipm3]

Originally Posted by zubydafa

i guess my hold up is that i think a custom tune catered to my specific mods is better than one generated for all ZM's. currently i have afe intake, arqray exhaust, RE x-pipe and will have fabspeed headers soon.

flawed reasoning? i'll be getting dyno'd pre and post so i'll know what kind of gains were achieved. also the tuner has an e46M and is very experienced with the s54 from what i've been told.

or does evolve adapt to mods?

The DME of our cars are incredibly complicated and smart! For the most part, if a tuner has already mapped a car with your similar mods, you won't really need any more fine tuning.

With your basic and common bolt-ons, I am pretty confident that Evolve Automotive has already worked out maps for similar cars.

Typically with the S54B32 and the MSS54 DME for the E46 M3, the biggest adjustment is obviously having to tune for a catless header. Evolve and any reputable BMW tuner will have to properly tune the VANOS, torque calculations, fuel, timing, and cams to make it all work properly, safely, and powerful!

So with that said, I am pretty sure that if you got Evolve's Stage 2 Tune and give them a list of your specific modifications, they'll be able to send you a tune back that has pretty much safely maximized your gains. If ever, there might be a horsepower or two, but nothing that will make that much of a difference. After Evolve produces their maps, then as mentioned, the car will continue adapting to the new tuned targets.

It's rather brilliant if you ask me. Automotive tuning has changed so much over the recent years and things have gotten significantly more complicated. Personally, that is why I prefer to get all my cars tuned by a specialist in our cars. Evolve Automotive just so happens to be the BMW specialists!

If you give them a call or shoot them an email, they can much better explain everything since I have such a superficial understanding behind all this tuning.

[prodigal_m]

I'm sure you've all read my review of the Evolve tune by now and obviously the hand held unit was not available at the time of my tune. Anyway, a refresher of my impressions can be found here.

[Panchio]

Evolve is still working on the handheld device for our cars...
Man... I want it sooo bad...

From Evolve.

"I'm afraid we don't offer a remote tuning unit for that vehicle at the moment. We are working on it and hope to release something in the next several months that will cover it (its a different ECU to the E46 M3)"

[Cal@Sonic MS]

Trust me Gents, it'll be well worth the wait. In the meantime - save your pennies up for SS headers

[flipm3]

Originally Posted by Cal@Sonic MS

Trust me Gents, it'll be well worth the wait. In the meantime - save your pennies up for SS headers

This man speaks the truth!!!

Or save up to buy my soon to be used SS V1 Stepped Headers when Evolve releases their own for the E46 M3

[Panchio]

Originally Posted by Cal@Sonic MS

Trust me Gents, it'll be well worth the wait. In the meantime - save your pennies up for SS headers

I just got my SS headers But In the meantime, I decided to go with the Epic tune... Once Evolve release theirs, I'm soo in.

[Mirko]

Still nada for Evolve R-cable ...

Can evolve tune the ECU without the car being there?